Air blast gin with valve controlled pneumatic mote discharge



11111622, 1943. I J. J. WALLACE 2,322,553

AIR BLAST GIN WITH VALVE CONTROLLED PNEUMATIC MOTE DISCHARGE Filed Oct.6, 1941 gmwm J J Wei/ans Patented June 22, 1943 AIR BLAST GIN WITH VALVECONTROLLED PNEUMATIC MOTE DISCHARGE Jeffrey J. Wallace, Amite, La.,assignor to Gullett Gin Company, Amite, La., a corporation of LouisianaApplication October 6, 1941, Serial No. 413,860

6 Claims.

This invention relates toair blast gins of the pneumatic moting type, inwhich air under pressure from a common reservoir supplies two nozzles,the lint removing nozzle and a nozzle in the moting chamber directing ablast into the mote discharge flue for evacuating the motes and trashthrown ofl centrifugally into the moting chamber by the saw cylinder.

The moting nozzle may be so positioned that it has a venturi action withrespect to the atmosphere within the v moting chamber, causing a driftof the suspended matter in said chamber toward the mote discharge duct,and counteracting the down draft caused by the rotation of the sawcylinder with its rim of cotton through the moting chamber toward thelint flue, which down draft would carry the suspended matter into thelint flue.

Ordinarily, there is no means for varying the volume of air supplied tothe moting nozzle independently of the air supplied to the lint nozzle.It is, however, highly advantageous to have such a variable volumecontrol for the moting nozzle, inasmuch as cotton from different fieldsmay vary greatly as to the condition and lightness of the staple and theamount of motes and trash, so that if the lint is unusually light ornonadhesive to the saws there is danger that it may be drawn off by theinduced air drift in the moting chamber under strong blast conditionsand discharged with the motes. Under these circum stances a diminishedmoting blast is desirable. Conversely, if the cotton is unusuallytrashy, an increased moting blast is advantageous to clear the motechamber of the centrifugally thrown trash and motes as fast as it isproduced, to minimize collections of the trash particles in the motingchamber which create turbulence and tend to break up the orderlyprogress of the drift toward the mote discharge duct. The object of thepresent invention, therefore, is to provide, in a gin of the typedescribed, a volume varying valve in the conduit from the commoncompressed air reservoir to the moting blast nozzle. Another object ofthe invention is to provide a capacious auxiliary reservoir between thevalve and the moting blast nozzle, serving the latter,

to prevent the throttling of the valve havingv localized velocityeffects in any portion of the linear extent of the blast issuing fromthe moting nozzle.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following descriptionof a preferred and practical embodiment of my invention proceeds.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of the followingspecification, and throughout the figures of which the same charactersof reference have been used to denote the same part:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cotton gin embodying the principles ofthe invention; and

Figure 2 is a cross-section taken along the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the gin thereinillustrated is of the type disclosed in and covered by my Patent No.2,253,456, granted August 19, 1941, in which there is a saw cylinder l,the saws of which operate between theginning ribs 2, and in which apneumatic mote discharge duct 3 has a flared mouth 4, forming a motingchamber confronting the saw cylinder in the region adjacent itsemergence from the ribs 2 at which region the motes and trash arecentrifugally thrown from the saw cylinder. This particular gin ischaracterized by the fact that the floor 5 of the moting chamber isplaniform and that a moting blast nozzle 6 directs an air blast insheet-like form along the floor 5 and into the mote discharge duct 3.The inclination of the floor 5 with respect to the trajectories of thecentrifugally thrown motes is such that the motes and trash are throwndirectly into the sheet-like blast from the nozzle 6 and whisked awayinto the mote discharge duct. The sheet-like blast, entering therelatively narrow mote discharge duct 3, has a venturi action increating a drift of the atmosphere in the moting chamber 4 in adirection away from the saw cylinder toward the mote discharge duct,carrying the lighter suspended matter into said duct and at the sametime producing a mild suction at the point I, where the saw cylinderpasses the moting blast nozzle 6 counteracting the down draft created bythe saw cylinder, which of course, is moving in the direction indicatedby the arrow. Thus, normally the suspended matter in the atmosphere ofthe moting chamber 4 is prevented from being carried downwardly bythesaid down draft. Below the moting chamber is the nozzle 8 which directsa lint removing blast tangentially of the saw cylinder towards thepoints of the saw teeth and carries the lint into the lint flue 9, whichis evacuated by a suction fan, not shown, but which is conventional inthe art. The air under pressure which supplies both the line removingblast at the nozzle 8 and the moting blast at the nozzle 6 is derivedfrom a reservoir or conduit Ill supplied by a blower, not shown. Saidreservoir communicates with the moting blast nozzle 6, by means of aconduit H, making a T connection with a pipe or auxiliary reservoir 12,having an open side communicating with the moting blast nozzle 6.

In the gin, as disclosed in my aforementioned patent, the compressed airfrom the reservoir IE! s supplied with equal pressure, both to themoting blast nozzle 6 and the lint removing blast nozzle 8.

It has been pointed out in connection with the objects of the subjectinvention that there are times when it is desirable to control or varythe volume of air supplied to the moting blast nozzle. For example, whenthe stapl is light or short and only feebly adherent to the saw teeth,there is a tendency for much lint to be drawn off into the motingchamber if the drift of the atmosphere of said chamber toward the motedischarge duct is strong, due to a powerful moting blast. Under suchconditions it is desirable to decrease the volume of air supplied to themoting blast nozzle. Conversely, when the cotton is particularly dirty,so that there is an unusually large quantity of motes and trashparticles centrifugally discharged into the moting chamber it is desiredto get rid of these as fast as possible, otherwise, a condition ofturbulence is set up in the atmosphere of the moting chamber, dot tocongestion of motes and trash therein with the innumerable collectionsbetween particles attendant upon such congestion and which tends tonullify the venturi action of the moting blast so that suspended trashand motes will be carried down to the lint removing blast in the downdraft produced by the rotation of the saw cylinder. Under suchconditions the moting blast should be increased.

The present invention provides the desired variable control of themoting blast by the interposition of a valve '13 to control the volumeof air passing from the reservoir l through the conduit II. Figure 2shows that the pipe or auxiliary reservoir i2 is extended beyond oneside of the moting blast nozzl 6, as indicated at 14,

and that the conduit ll communicates with the reservoir I2 through thisextension. The extension I4 is open at its end and receives the valve 83which is in the form of a sleeve [6 rotatably fitting within saidextension and having a closed end I! with an extended flange l8affording a The sleeve hand hold for operating said valve.

[3 has asemicylindrical portion is adapted to fully or partially occludethe conduit II or to leave said conduit fully open when the valve is inthe position shown in Figure 2.

It will be well understood by those skilled in the art that when thevalve is partially closed, the velocity of the air column passingthrough said valve will be-increased, so that if the conduit II and thevalve [3 were placed anywhere in the zone of the moting blast nozzle 6there would be a localized increase in the velocity of the moting blastin the region adjacent said valve. This would'be undesirable, in thatfor optimum efliciency the velocity of the moting blast should beuniform throughout the linear extent of the moting blast nozzle. Thepositioning of the conduit H and the valve l3 in the endwise extension Mof the auxiliary reservoir 12, and entirely out of the zon of the motingblast nozzle, prevents any localized velocity effects on the blastissuing from said nozzle, and the uniformity of the velocity of themoting blast throughout its linear extent is further assured by therelative capaciousness of the auxiliary reservoir I2 which is ofsufficient size to equalize the pressure of the air before it issuesfrom the moting blast nozzle.

It will, of course, be understood that in the operation of this valve,when it is desired to Vary the intensity of the moting blast, the valveis turned so as to more or less partially occlude the cross-sectionalopening of the conduit H. The shape of the valve 13, being that of ahollow cylinder open at its inner end, it interposes no structuralimpediment to the passage of the full volume of air from the reservoir10 to the moting blast nozzle when the valve is in its fully openposition, as illustrated in Figure 2.

The valve may be readily removed, should occasion require, by drawing itlongitudinally from the end of the extension I l, in which extension itmakes a friction fit.

While I have in the above description disclosed what I believe to be apreferred and practical form of the invention, it will be understood tothose killed in the art that the specific details of construction andarrangement of parts as shown, are by Way of example and not to beconstrued as limiting the scope of the invention defined by the appendedclaims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Air blast gin of the pneumatic moting type comprising a saw cylinderand cooperating ginning ribs, means forming a moting chamber confrontingthe saw cylinder in the region of centrifugal mote discharge adjacentsaid ribs, a mote discharge duct with which said moting chambercommunicates, a lint discharge flue confronting said saw cylinder in aregion remote from said ribs, and a pneumatic system for mote disposaland lint removal comprising a moting blast nozzle in said moting chamberand a lint removing blast nozzle in operative relation to said sawcylinder and lint fiue, a compressed air reservoir, conduits from saidreservoir to said nozzles, that conduit which serves the moting blastnozzle extending parallel to said nozzle and openingthereinto uniformlythroughout the length of said nozzle, said conduit having an extensionbeyond one end of said nozzle, through which extension said reservoircommunicates with said nozzle, and a valve in said extension controllingthe communication of said reservoir with said conduit for varying thevolume of air delivered to said conduit and an air volume regulatingvalve in the conduit to said moting blast nozzle.

2'. Air blast gin of the pneumatic moting type comprising a saw cylinderand cooperating ginning ribs, means forming a moting chamber confrontingthe saw cylinder substantially throughout its length in the region ofcentrifugal mote discharge adjacent said ribs, a mote discharge ductwith which said moting chamber communicates, a lint discharge flueconfronting said saw cylinder in a region remote from said ribs, and apneumatic system for mote disposal and lint removal comprising a motingblast nozzle in said moting chamber extending substantially throughoutthe length thereof, and a lint blast nozzle directed tangentially ofsaid saw cylinder toward said lint flue, a compressed air reservoir, aconduit from said reservoir to said lint blast nozzle, a conduit fromsaid reservoir to said moting blast nozzle communicating therewiththroughout the length of said nozzle and having an open ended extensionto one side of said nozzle, said reservoir communicating with said lastnamed conduit through said extension, and an air volume regulating valvein said extension formed as a removable closure for the open end of saidextension and controlling communication of said reservoir with saidconduit.

3. Air blast gin of the pneumatic moting type comprising a saw cylinderand cooperating ginning ribs, means forming a moting chamber confrontingthe saw cylinder in the region of centrifugal mote discharge adjacentsaid ribs and extending substantially throughout the length of said sawcylinder, a mote discharge duct with which said moting chambercommunicates, a lint discharge flue confronting said saw cylinder in aregion remote from said ribs, and a pneumatic system for mote disposaland lint removal comprising a moting blast nozzle in said moting chamberhaving a linear orifice extending substantially throughout the length ofsaid moting chamber, and a lint blast nozzle directed tangentially ofsaid saw cylinder toward said lint flue, a compressed air reservoir, aconduit from said reservoir to said lint blast nozzle, a conduitcommunicating with said moting blast nozzle substantially throughout thelength of said linear orifice, said conduit having a cylindricalextension at one end beyond said orifice, a conduit communicatingbetween said reservoir and said extension and a rotatable valvecomprising a cylindrical sleeve fitting said extension having itscircumferential wall discontinuous in the zone of said communicatingconduit whereby upon rotation of said valve the mouth of saidcommunicating conduit may be more or less occluded.

4. Air blast gin as claimed in claim 3, said cylindrical valve beingremovably inserted in the open end of said extension and forming aclosure therefor.

5. Air blast gin of the type having a saw cylinder operating inconjunction with ginning ribs, having a lint discharge flue with itsmouth in proximity to the periphery of the saw cylinder at a pointsufficiently distant from said ribs to provide an intervening space forthe centrifugal discharge of the motes and trash carried on the lintmass adherent to the saw cylinder, and having a lint removing blastnozzle adjacent the mouth of the lint flue, in combination with apneumatic moting system including a mote discharge duct having a'relatively narrow portion debouching into a flared mouth defined betweenupper and lower walls, confronting said saw cylinder in the region ofcentrifugal mote discharge, a moting blast nozzle having a linearorifice along the lower edge of said lower wall directed away from saidsaw cylinder for blowing a sheet-like blast along said lower wall andinto said mote duct, said lower wall and said sheetlike blast being inthe path of direct impingement of the centrifugally dischargedparticles, said blast by venturi action creating suction in said flaredmouth for evacuating the lighter suspended trash by way of said moteduct, and countering the down draft produced by rotation of thelint-laden saw cylinder, which would otherwise draw said lighter trashinto said lint flue, a compressed air reservoir, a conduit connectingsaid reservoir to said lint removing blast nozzle, a conduitcommunicating with the moting blast nozzle throughout the length of itsorifice and having an end extension to one side of said moting blastnozzle, a conduit communicating between said reservoir and saidextension and a valve in said extension for controlling the volume ofair supplied by said reservoir to said moting blast nozzle, saidextension of said moting blast nozzle conduit being cylindrical and saidvalve being a cylinder sleeve rotatably fitting within said extension,forming an end closure therefor and having its circumferential walldiscontinuous in the zone of said communicating conduit whereby uponrotation of said valve the cross-sectional area of said communicatingconduit may be varied.

6. Air blast gin of the type having a saw cylinder operating inconjunction with ginning ribs, having a lint discharge flue with itsmouth in proximity to the periphery of the saw cylinder at a pointsufficiently distant from said ribs to provide an intervening space forthe centrifugal discharge of the motes and trash carried on the lintmass adherent to the saw cylinder, and having a lint removing blastnozzle adjacent the mouth of the lint flue, in combination with apneumatic moting system including a mote discharge duct having arelatively narrow portion debouching into a flared mouth de finedbetween upper and lower walls, confronting said saw cylinder in theregion of centrifugal mote discharge, a moting blast nozzle having alinear orifice along the lower edge of said lower wall directed awayfrom said saw cylinder for blowing a sheet-like blast along said lowerwall and into said mote duct, said lower wall and said sheet-like blastbeing in the path of direct impingement of the centrifugally dischargedparticles, said blast by venturi action creating suction in said flaredmouth for evacuating the lighter suspended trash by way of said moteduct, and countering the down draft produced by rotation of thelint-laden saw cylinder, which would otherwise draw said lighter trashinto said line flue, a compressed air reservoir, a conduit connectingsaid reservoir to said lint removing blast nozzle, a conduitcommunicating with the moting blast nozzle throughout JEFFREY J.WALLACE.

